Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

gridoon2018 I can't say I was especially thrilled by any of the Bulldog Drummond films starring John Howard that I've seen so far (in fact, it is quite hard to tell them apart), but "Arrest Bulldog Drummond" may well be the best of them; it seems to be the most action-packed, the most incident-filled, the most eager-to-please. There are lots of pyrotechnics, a fine bad girl (Jean Fernwick, who on the basis of this should have had a more distinguished career than a long string of uncredited parts!), and Heather Angel in shorts! Yes, her legs are amazing. The film also has a strong sense of family - particularly in a scene where Tenny, Algy and Nielson are overjoyed to discover that Hugh is alive and well after having disappeared for four days. If one Drummond-Howard film is enough for your viewing experience, try to make it this one. **1/2 out of 4.

MartinHafer The Bulldog Drummond series was not one of the more memorable adventure/detective series of the 30s and 40s. Most of the problem was the very high turnover in the lead--with almost a dozen actors playing Captain Drummond. However, the leading man in this film, John Howard, did play in quite a few--and made more of the role than many of the other actors given a chance to play Drummond. The combination of a good villain (George Zucco) and very good support from H.B. Warner as 'the Colonel' make this one better than most.The film begins with a seemingly crazy engineer telling the British government that he alone has the power to end wars!! They rightfully assume the man is nuts...but, oddly, he is correct! It seems that this fellow named Gannett is an inventor much like the real life Nicola Tesla (who was rather crazy according to most accounts of his time--as in addition to his brilliant inventions, he tried to perfect a death ray among other crackpot ideas). Gannett manages to create a ray that makes guns and other weapons disappear--this, potentially, ending wars! However, an evil man (Zucco) hates this because he is a war profiteer and is more than willing to steal the ray and sell it to the highest bidder! As for Drummond, I loved how the Colonel didn't do what the authorities usually do in such a film. Usually, they try their best to harass the hero and threaten to arrest him. However, the Colonel KNOWS that by the end of each of their encounters, it turns out Drummond is right and saves the day. So, instead of arresting him, the Colonel instead gets him out of jail repeatedly and is certain that Drummond will somehow work everything out in the end!! That's really pretty funny and sort of like an anti-cliché moment! In addition to Warner's excellent support, I liked how Algy and Tenny worked together in the film--they were quite funny and worth seeing. In fact, the entire film was better than average for the series--a lot of fun and with an interesting escapist plot.UPDATE--Oddly, the day after I saw this film, I just happened to see "Blake of Scotland Yard" (which was made two years earlier) and noticed that "Arrest Bulldog Drummond" was essentially a re-working of this earlier film! As a result, I added this update and knocked a point off this later film's score as it was NOT nearly as original as I first thought! Interesting timing, huh?!

robert-temple-1 This is the fourteenth Bulldog Drummond film, and it is highly watchable. The performances are very good, and one wishes the plot were less implausible and the 'secret weapon' were not a mere tin contraption which any schoolboy could have put together in an hour from scraps in a school workshop. But then, we are not meant to take the plot at all seriously, we are merely meant to sit back and enjoy seeing John Howard and Heather Angel almost get married again, H. B. Warner as Colonel Nielson grumble and demand not to be called 'Inspector', E. E. Clive as Tenny the Butler say 'I rather thought so, sir' in his own inimitable way, and Reginald Denny as Algy Longworth be an endearing bumbling fool as usual: 'You mean you're not dead, Hugh?' 'Not even a bit dead, Algy.' George Zucco is a wonderfully convincing and menacing villain, as he was to be so many more times. One surprising development is that Claud Allister, the original Algy Longworth as far back as Ronald Colman days, who in his time had seen many a Drummond come and go, appears in a serious straight role as a distinguished friend of the Commissioner, which he does very well. Perhaps they were giving a part to an old pal, or Allister wanted to show that he could be a jolly good straight actor, have a deep voice rather than a high-pitched effete whinny, and look as if he were not a dolt, - at all of which he succeeds admirably. Heather Angel is delightful, the diametrical opposite to the cringeing, whimpering and helpless Joan Bennett who in earlier times draped herself in Colman's arms like a water hose which has just squirted its last. The clouds of war are gathering in this 1939 film. There are secret agents of foreign powers willing to pay a million pounds for a ray which detonates guns at a range of half a mile. One senses the danger in the air, despite all the silliness. One wonderful touch in this film is the presence of a trained talking raven. He has a role in the plot, and even shares the last frame. We could have done with more of that raven.

Spondonman "Arrest Bulldog Drummond" promises more than it delivers - the science fiction plot has bad hats Zucco & Co. in charge of and selling an explosive electric ray device to the Enemy, with Drummond & Co. out to stop him. The weapon has a range of between a quarter and half a mile - which seems to make it well worth £1,000,000 to a Bad Power. A plan to terrorise London? Nah, it'll never happen.In 56 minutes it lurches from one improbable scene to another - H.B. Warner is definitely NOT my idea of a Scotland Yard Inspector, sorry, Colonel. Colonel? Zucco and his ... sidekick, Lady Beryl take an almost childish glee in repeatedly demonstrating the weapon to themselves - meaning to the original cinema audience of 11 years olds! Everyone as usual plays their parts well, especially Howard/Angel/Denny & Clive as the unflappable goodie quartet.Some nice touches here and there, with plenty of witticisms from all concerned, especially Hugh's impending marriage to Phyllis - or not, make it an enjoyable entry in the series. My copy was very poor and choppy but didn't detract too much for me.